History

Thousands of years have passed since the Maya built their great cities and ceremonial centres. Although many of them are yet to be rediscovered, the history still remains strong. Let us walk back in time. Lamanai, “submerged crocodile” received its name from the abundant crocodiles in the New River Lagoon. At its peak the population rose to 35,000, which included a community of farmers, merchants and traders. Incredibly the Mayas had inhabited the region which is when the Lamanai supremacy began around 1500 BC. Archaeological evidence reveals that structures were occupied as recently as the 18th century AD, signifying over 3200 years of occupation. The arrival of the Spanish in the middle of the sixteen century caused immediate upheaval in the Mayan community. Spanish conquistadors held considerable sway over the Maya by the 16th century, even establishing a Christian church, however a native rebellion eventually drove the Spaniards out. Later, Lamanai was eventually weakened by many epidemics and finally ended.

Tour Details

One of the most popular and memorable tours available from San Pedro! We guarantee a full day of adventure. Take your first step to the mainland, then on a jungle river ride up the old Northern River to the beautiful village of Bomba – an excellent place for gorgeous zericote wood carvings by the way. Here you can enjoy the view of the diverse Belizean countryside and local villages as you travel along the unspoiled Pan American Highway to Orange Walk where you will resume your jungle riverboat ride. Your guide will enthrall you with a narrated river tour of the varied bird life and native flora. Along the way you will see a Mennonite community where they live without modern conveniences according to their traditions. On arriving at the ancient Mayan Citadel of Lamanai, noted as one of the largest Mayan ceremonial centres in Belize, you can visit the museum, take in the spectacular panoramic view of the lush jungle, the Maya mountains and the New River Lagoon, and photograph intricate Mayan carvings. The jungle walk will bring you to all the temples on the site and you are also sure to have the opportunity to see native wildlife such as monkeys and toucans.